Pack parachute



Sept. 24, 1940- J. ESCHNER PACK PARACHUTE Filed Jan. 8, 1938 Josef 55c /I Her lNVENTOR m ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 24, 1940 PACK PARACHUTE Josef Eschner, Vienna, Austria ApplicatjonJanuary 8, 1938, Serial No. 184,001 In Austria February 22, 1937 3 Claims.

The present invention refers to a so-called pack parachute and more particularly to improvements in the construction and in the folding method of a canopy for a pack parachute.

One object of the invention is to provide a parachute canopy which can be easily and speedily packed in a manner to insure, in use, complete and rapid opening of the parachute at the proper moment.

A further object is to produce a parachute canopy capable of being packed for frictionless openmg.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of folding a parachute canopy which can be carried out easily without special experience or training and which allows of folding the canopy into a small pack to be carried on the back of a person.

A still further object of the invention is to fold a suitably constructed parachute pack canopy in such a manner that, immediately after release of the canopy from the pack, the canopy will form an air pocket which is automatically inflated to the full size of the parachute without 25 any sliding friction or other resistance.

According to the invention these and other objects are accomplished by the arrangement and combination of elements set forth in the following description, defined in the appended claims and 30 illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the canopy with the outer portions of the fabric folded upon the square crown portion, and I Fig. 2 shows the canopy rolled into two parallel rolls and one roll extending transversely of said parallel rolls.

Referring now to the figures, and first to Fig. 1, the parachute canopy I comprises a square crown portion A upon which the outer canopy portions have been folded. The base edge 2 of the canopy I is gathered together on the inner surface of the crown portion A and the excess fabric is placed substantially along one of the diagonals of the crown portion A. The shroud lines I and connecting lines 8 are disposed centrally on the inner surface of the crown portion A, with the ends of the connecting lines 8 emerging from the center of the pack.

Two reinforcing strips B and C are attached crosswise and diagonally to the outside of the square crown portion A. The strips B and C have free end flaps 3, 4, 5 and 6 projecting beyond the four corners, respectively, of the square crown portion A.

Furthermore. two holder strips D and E are attached crosswise and diagonally of the square crown portion A to the outsides of the latter and of said reinforcing strips B and C at the crossing point of said reinforcing strips. The holder strips D and E have free portions 9, I and II I2, respectively, each extending substantially from said crossing point where the strips are attached about halfway to one corner of the crown portion A. One of the free holder strip portions 9 has a loop I3 at its free end, the other holder strip portions II], II and I2 are provided with eyelets II in their free ends.

After folding the outer portions of the canopy I upon the square crown portion A, as shown in Fig. l, the folding of the canopy is completed, as shown in Fig. 2, by rolling in the square crown portion A from two opposite corners thereof beginning with the fiaps 3 and 4, into twoparallel rolls F lying on opposite sides of the diagonal through the flaps and 6. The parallel rolls F may be releasably secured in their rolled-in positions by means of the holding strip portions 9 and I 0. For this purpose, the free ends of the strip portions 9 and I 0 are brought together above the center of the crown portion, and the loop I3 of strip portion 9 is passed through the eyelet II of strip portion Ill.

Thereafter, the parallel rolls F are rolled in from their ends beginning at the flaps 5 and 6 towards a middle line coinciding substantially with a diagonal of the square crown portion A. Thus two parallel rolls G at right angles to the parallel rolls F are formed, which rolls G are releasably secured in their rolled-in positions by means of the free portions II and I2 of holder strip E. For this purpose, the ends of strip portions II, I2 are brought together above the loop I3 projecting from eyelet I4 in strip Ill and the loop I3 is passed through the eyelets I4 in strips II and I2, respectively. In order to show the parallel rolls D and E more clearly, Fig. 2il1ustrates the canopy at a stage of the folding process when only one of the transverse rolls G has been formed.

I claim:

1. A parachute canopy comprising a substantially square crown portion and reinforcing strips attached crosswise and diagonally to the outside of said square portion, said strips having free end flaps extending beyond the corners of said portion.

2. A parachute canopy, as claimed in claim 1, including additional holder strips attached crosswise and diagonally to the outsides of said square of folding the outer canopy parts upon said square portion, rolling said square portion in from two opposite corners thereof into two parallel rolls, and then rolling in said parallel rolls from their ends towards a middle line substantially coincid- 6 ing with a. diagonal of said square portion.

J OSEF ESCHNER. 

